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Anna giggled. “Getting scared now, huh?”

For you, he wanted to say, but how much of a sap would that make him look?

“People rate it anywhere between three and six out of ten,” Simon informed them. “But I’ll stop the moment either of you wants me to.”

Luke told himself to shut up, stay quiet. But the moment the needle pierced her skin, he knew he couldn’t watch and lurched to his feet. “I’ll wait outside.”

He marched out without any further explanation. What the hell could he say? I can’t stand by and watch Anna get hurt?

Instead he had to sit and twiddle his thumbs in the waiting room while he listened to the sound of the gun piercing her skin. For a whole hour.

By the time she came out, he was a twisted mess of worry and angst. “Are you okay?”

She looked at him quizzically. “I’ve had a small tattoo. Not open-heart surgery.”

She showed him the tattoo beneath a layer of clear film, black outlines of two siblings holding hands, the skin around it pink. He forced himself to breath in and out. “Right. My go.”

“It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt that much.”

“I wasn’t worried . . .” He shut up before he made an even greater fool of himself.

Her expression softened. “Luke, were you worried for me?”

Did it make him a chauvinist, a guy who thought women were the weaker sex when he knew damn well they were the strongest? “If I was?”

She reached up and kissed his cheek. “I’d say thank you. It’s been a while since a guy other than my brother bothered to worry about me.”

He didn’t know how to react to that. Why wasn’t there a whole army of guys wanting to worry about her? It didn’t make sense. But now wasn’t the time to ask. Not when he was about to put his own skin under the gun. Not when she was looking at him with warm eyes and a smile so sweet it melted his insides.

“Right, well. See you in an hour.” He had to make a conscious effort not to touch the part of his cheek that she’d kissed. “I’ll be the one crying like a baby.”

She chuckled. “Do you want me to hold your hand?”

Yes. He bit down on the reply. This morning they’d wandered into dangerous territory. He couldn’t afford to wander into it again, there was too much at stake. For Colin’s sake he needed to take a step away, create distance. Support his best friend’s sister, not take advantage of her. Not defile her. “Very funny,” he murmured.

Simon was waiting for him.

“Your girlfriend managed it without needing a rest, without wriggling.” He raised a pierced eyebrow. “Wonder if you’ll be as brave.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Oh?” Simon shook his head. “Man, if you’re single, you’re either blind or stupid.”

He definitely wasn’t blind, and though the jury was still out on his level of intelligence, he wasn’t stupid. The next twelve days would be a different sort of torture to that he’d thought of when he’d started this advent calendar journey.

December 13th

The reception area of the spa was warm and welcoming. Beside the oak wood reception desk was a lovely Christmas tree decorated in silver ribbons and turquoise ornaments. Cream sofas with aqua cushions were set against the wall, matching armchairs opposite, oak coffee tables placed between them. The scent of aromatherapy oils drifted over to them.

Despite all that, Luke was like a restless bull beside her.

She signed her completed form and slid it onto the table next to Luke’s. “Will you stop fidgeting.”

He exhaled heavily. “Sorry.”

“Anyone would think you didn’t want to be here.”

He cast her a mild look. “I don’t.”